Russian President Vladimir Putin has caught the world off guard by ordering troops into two breakaway Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, after recognizing their independence Monday. Putin's instruction to deploy “peacekeepers” into the self-declared republics gained approval from Russia's upper house, the Federation Council, Tuesday. This can be taken to mean the Russian leader has virtually declared the beginning of war.
Describing Russia's move as an excuse for triggering war, the United States announced what it called the “first tranche” of sanctions on Russia, targeting financial institutions and Russia's elites. Such steps followed a series of sanctions imposed by the European Union and Britain. U.S. President Joe Biden, however, left open room for talks, saying, “There is still time to avert the worst-case scenario that will bring untold suffering to millions of people.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said he canceled a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that had been scheduled for later in the week. “Now that we see the invasion is beginning and Russia has made clear its wholesale rejection of diplomacy, it does not make any sense to go forward with that,” he said.
First, we express grave concern over Russia's offensives against Ukraine, as they are an apparent infringement of Ukraine's sovereignty and territory and a violation of international rules. It is an imperialist practice that will drive the entire world as well as the U.S. and Europe into the vortex of another Cold War.
President Moon Jae-in underlined the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial rights of Ukraine during a National Security Council meeting Tuesday. He pledged Korea will join efforts to find a peaceful solution as a responsible member of the international community. As Moon put it, the foreign ministry and other relevant authorities should make maximum efforts to ensure the safety of Korean residents in Ukraine and minimize the possible adverse impact of the Russian military action on the Korean economy.
The rising tension and a potential war in the region will inevitably lead to a spike in the prices of crude oil and grain in global markets. Russia's gas supply to Europe will possibly be cut and the sprawling agricultural regions of Ukraine will be turned into battlefields. The supply chains of key minerals and other resources could be disrupted, while global financial markets are likely to plunge into turmoil.
Given this, the Moon administration should work out proper measures to minimize the fallout from the Ukraine crisis and take preemptive action, if necessary, to cope with the worst-case scenario. The international community should make joint efforts to thwart Russia's territorial ambitions. Concern is growing that North Korea will take advantage of the situation to carry out more military provocations. So the government should be on alert over potential security threats.